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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Pretty slow and a little boring, but I do enjoy reading through all the major historical events. This book is similar to Sarum in that it follows the genealogy of families in a city, but unlike Sarum the story begins after a Dutch colony had already been established in New York. I was hoping to read more about the Native Americans in a similar way that he wrote of the hunters and gatherers in Sarum, but there wasn’t any of that. Overall I just lost motivation to continue reading after about halfway through, because it’s rather slow and dry, and I’m seeking a juicy adventure tale at the moment. Maybe I will pick up and finish another time.
This was a terrible book. There were some interesting historical passages where I learned something, but all of the characters were boring and the whole thing felt contrived. You know it's bad when you sort of hope that the characters die in the end.
Another sweeping historical novel enjoyed every page, every family, each drama
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Thanks to Jenny K. for putting this on my radar!
Really enjoyable "read" (I listened to 80% of it, but also had a paper copy to read a few times). Fascinating to learn little tidbits of New York history, let alone review parts of American history I should know (e.g. the Revolutionary War) or knew a little about before and got to learn more about (e.g. the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire). I laughed. I cried. This had it all.
If I had one complaint, it would be that there were too many white male characters. BUT, I see why the author did this. White male characters would have had the most agency, if trying to be historically accurate, as they had an ability to control their lives in a way that women and minorities in the United States wouldn't have had the power to do. But it was still kind of irksome.
Really enjoyable "read" (I listened to 80% of it, but also had a paper copy to read a few times). Fascinating to learn little tidbits of New York history, let alone review parts of American history I should know (e.g. the Revolutionary War) or knew a little about before and got to learn more about (e.g. the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire). I laughed. I cried. This had it all.
If I had one complaint, it would be that there were too many white male characters. BUT, I see why the author did this. White male characters would have had the most agency, if trying to be historically accurate, as they had an ability to control their lives in a way that women and minorities in the United States wouldn't have had the power to do. But it was still kind of irksome.
The book just wasn't interesting. The characters were flat and most of the characters in the main family were not that likeable or relatable. And as a NYer, I had a hard time reading the 9/11 chapter since it still makes me panicky. I had wanted to read this book for a long time so I was very disappointed.
I learned more about US history in this book than my entire school career. I both laughed and cried throughout the book. It's long, but the stories are involved and touching. Highly recommended.
This book was intricately woven together to perfection. I was completely floored by the amount of labor that must have gone into a novel like this. Absolutely stunning book.
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Highly recommend reading before a visit to New York City. It really increased my appreciation of the city.